Managing the operation of remote server computers can be a difficult and time consuming task. This is especially true when several server computers must be maintained that are located in different geographical areas or when a server computer must be maintained remotely from computers located in several different geographical locations.
Devices exist that make the task of remote server management easier. These devices, called “management devices,” can perform a number of tasks relating to the management of a server computer. For instance, some management devices are capable of maintaining an event log that includes health management information for a server computer such as operating temperature, hardware parameters, fan speeds, and other information.
Management devices may also maintain a real time clock and create a time-stamped entry in the event log when a health management event occurs. For instance, if the operating temperature of a server computer exceeds a threshold temperature, then the management device may create an entry in the event log that includes the time at which the temperature spike was recorded. The management device may also be connected to a network, such as the Internet, to allow the contents of the event log to be accessed remotely by a system administrator. With the correct event information in hand, the system administrator may take appropriate action to correct the problem.
One particular difficulty encountered when managing a server computer using a management device occurs when the server computer is located in a different time zone than the remote computer utilized to perform the management functions. Because the server computer and the remote computer are located in different time zones, it can be difficult to determine the actual time when events recorded in the event log actually took place. For instance, a server computer may be located in the Eastern Time Zone that has a connected management device including a real time clock set for the Eastern Time Zone. A remote computer located in the Pacific Time Zone may include a real time clock set for Pacific Time. When a system administrator utilizing the remote computer accesses an event log on the management device, the system administrator must manually convert the time entries in the event log between Eastern and Pacific time. If the system administrator forgets to convert between the time zones or converts incorrectly, the system administrator will have an incorrect understanding of when the recorded events actually took place.
One solution to this problem is to set the real time clock in the management device to the same time as the real time clock in the remote computer, regardless of the time zone in which the management device is located. By setting the real time clock of the management device the same as the time where the remote computer is located, no conversion of time data is required when a system administrator views the event log from the remote computer. However, if a second remote computer located in a different time zone from the first remote computer is utilized to access the event log on the management device, confusion may arise because the entries in the event log will be expressed in the time zone of the first remote computer. This can be very confusing for a system administrator.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the various embodiments of the present invention have been made.